In his mind, Vark senses what can only be described as a vast emptiness. It is as though his connection to Matthew is open, but nobody is talking. Then, a moment later his body once again burns with hitherto unknown arcane power that threatens to overwhelm him if not used immediately.
As the others begin to enact their plans, Hurrig hears Vark's startled voice pop into his head. "Oh! Uhm! Brundir, this is Vark. I'm ok, got a little... lost but I'm infiltrating the camp. Don't worry. Uh... see you soon!" as the sudden burst of arcane power fades from his body. Vark again whispers to the stone "Uh....th-thank you."And with that, he carries on down the tunnel.
After ensuring the wagon is safely hidden from sight, Bründir, Dorno, Hurrig, Jex, Thurston and Valaith carefully make their way down the road into the valley. It takes a bit less than two hours to get within a mile of the temple, and, as they draw closer to the village, Dorno calls upon the spirits of the land to shield them from view.
As they approach the town, Jex begins to look out for a good vantage point. Brundir eventually points him towards a good location. Taking the spyglass from Thurston he sets up to watch the camp.
"Stay close and be ready with that spell. I'll let you know when."
Jex casts his eye over the camp briefly, looking for any interesting activity and where the prisoners are being kept before settling in around the tent, looking for leadership figures.
From this distance, and with the spyglass as help, Jex can see the village in significantly more detail. Worg riders patrol the outskirts on their fearsome beasts, and tasks such as guard duty seems to, in general, have been left to the likes of lesser goblins. The chimneys of the refineries and forges are silent and cold, and the great lift-like platforms that lower the miners down into the ravine are manned by bugbears. Hobgoblins can be seen here and there individually, but many more loiter in their encampments. They seem to be leaders or fighters, but not tasked with menial duties.
As Jex surveys the village, movement by the town hall catches his eye. A trio of cloaked individuals emerge from the front door and quickly hurry across to the large tent besides the temple, ducking inside.
Hurrig hears Vark's voice enter his head. "OI Shit! oh it's you Vark, Where have ya been? I'm glad ya safe. We are trying to use the clairvoyance to spy on the temple. We're about a mile out of town if ya can get ta us." After replying to the voice in his head, Hurrig tells the party "Vark is alright... I think he just spoke ta me with his mind... He said he will meet up with us in Sheercleft, I let him know where we are and our plan."
Hurrig prepares the spell and casts the orb inside the tent (if not inside then above the entry way) Hurrig chooses to hear what is going in the tent first.
As Hurrig's invisible ear appears inside the tent, he hears an unknown voice speaking. Its timbre is harsh and rasping, like the snarl of a rabid beast.
"How much longer must I sit on my prize, Magus?" The voice is tinged with contempt as it spits the title.
"Sheercleft is mine by right, yet still you demand patience. Surely your powerful magicians can handle a simple door?"
The question is clearly both rhetorical and mocking.
"For as long as the Grand Magus requires, Warlord Kung," another voice replies. This one is deep and smooth, like a draught of well aged ale.
"You hold Sheercleft, because it is Her will. It is the gift we give to you in exchange for your people's sacrifice in holding the breach, and hold it you shall, if you wish to keep the little realm you've carved out for yourself here. Or do you think the Dwarven Lords will just sit by and watch, while a Goblin stronghold rises up in their midst?"
The threat hangs heavy in the air.
Hurrig holds the spell and shifts his perception so that he can see the interior of the tent. It's a large pavilion type affair, with a long rectangular meeting area and a curtained, circular rear. A tall, well muscled hobgoblin leans aggressively on a planning table strewn with maps and other documents. His skin is a dark, burned orange, and his long, brown hair is tied up in a topknot. The sides hang loose, framing his face, which is dominated by the distinctive, chunky hobgoblin nose and sharply pointed ears. He's dressed in full plate armour, of the same black metal wielded by the hobgoblins the party encountered in the pass. A shield hangs over his back and at his waist hang a longsword and a dagger. His fingernails are wicked points and he digs them into the wood of the table as he spits a silent retort back at the figure on the other side of it.
Opposite Warlord Kung stand three figures wrapped in dark blue hooded cloaks. Each also wears a bone white mask with black, vertical gashes across the eyes, obscuring their faces entirely. From their body language, the one in the middle seems to be in charge. He stands further forwards and appears to be the one conversing with the warlord. The other two occasionally glance at the hobgoblin guards who flank the entrance to the tent.
The image fades to black and once more Hurrig hears the conversation between the warlord and the magus.
"...shall see. Your warriors will hold the white-skins at bay until you receive permission to withdraw - or to wipe them out. Do with them as you wish, but until then you are to ensure that Quinton and his team are free to work in peace. I have his personal assurances that it will not take much longer."
Next, Hurrig hears footsteps and the swishing of cloth, followed by a roar of annoyance and frustration from the warlord. Jex reports that the guests have left, and for a few moments all the cleric hears are vague background noises, then the warlord barks some orders to his guards.
"Summon a rat. Tell Gurkig he is to hold. If he needs more men, he'll have them. If he needs more Sarameian fire, he'll have it. But he holds!"
There's a quick acknowledgement and then Jex sees one of them step outside and start waving to a nearby goblin.
As Hurrig is in his trance, he relays what he hears and sees to the party. "Jex quick, a messenger will be leaving the tent shortly. Follow it with your spyglass, to where someone named Gurkig is holding off men."
The warlord disappears into the back of the tent and Jex watches the messenger leave and head over to the ravine, where it is lowered down into the mines by a bugbear.
By the time this is complete, the clairvoyance spell has worn off.
"Well, we know where th' two biggest baddies hol' up. Now need to know where they sleep..." Bründir watches the town as a whole from atop a rock. With no spyglass or magical scrying, he was left to sharpen his sword and fiddle with a crossbow bolt.
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Characters:
Grishkar Darkmoor, Necromancer of Nerull the Despiser Kelvin Rabbitfoot, Diviner, con artist, always hunting for a good sale Bründir Halfshield, Valor Bard, three-time Sheercleft Drinking Competition Champion, Hometown hero
Val keeps her crossbow out and prepared while looking out over the area, prepared to take a fight should it lead to that. With Dorno's magic and Jex's guidance, Valaith nestled into a low profile nook that helped blend her stony features into the natural surroundings. She listens and watches intently as Jex and Hurrig spy on the area beyond. She feels much better knowing that Vark was safe... at least for now. The twisting of her guts burned furiously at the awkward angle in which she was perched, but she pushed aside such concerns for a later time... until... a thought pushed its way forward at one of the names.
"Quinton? As in the governor of Sheercleft? ...that cannot be right. Why would he sell out his town to these vermin and these masked people?"
Meanwhile, deep underground, the webbing ahead of Vark grows ever thicket as he follows the trail of blue light into the next cavern. Suddenly, an enormous spider drops from above, biting at the half-orc with huge fangs that drip with venom. In an unbelievable display of luck the sorcerer jumps aside just in time to avoid being bitten!
Vark nearly trips face first into the wall as he dodges the massive arachnid. Wisps of sticky web cling to his clothes as he peels himself off the cave wall and swings wildly with his staff. It erupts against the other wall in a shower of sparks, and then again with a burst against the floor as Vark's second swing is evaded.
Focus, boy, Matthew growls in the back of Vark's mind. The half-orc feels the now familiar well of the wizard's power bubbling just at the edge of his senses, all he need do is reach out and take it.
The spider screeches in frustration at being denied and hurls itself at Vark again. The sorcerer is forced to grab the fangs with his bare hands to stop them from digging into his flesh and the poison sears painfully at his skin.
As Jex watches the village he sees three goblins patrolling the road the party is on. One atop a cobbled together palisade watchtower, one walking back and forth along a barricade blocking the road, and one on the ground. There are also worg riders patrolling the edges of the village. One to the north and one to the south.
The booming voice seems to be enough for Vark to gain a bit of clarity as he wrestles with the spider. The sorcerer lets go of the dripping fangs, but before they can plunge into his chest he is gone in a cloud of silvery grey. A moment later and a ray of blue light pierces this cloud, spraying frost at the creature. It mostly hits the spiders legs and the floor beneath it, but that's enough to slow the beast down while Vark makes a break for it further down the tunnel.
Vark flees through the spider's cavern, dodging towering sheets of web left and right. Here and there he sees small silk-wrapped parcels hanging from the ceiling. Presumably other denizens of the underground who were not so lucky. Even slowed by the ice the monstrous creature is hot on his heels and Vark slips into a nook on the far side of its lair to escape... only to find his path barred by a wall of wooden boards. Through the gaps between the planks he can see another tunnel on the other side, but this entrance has clearly been nailed shut.
Looking at the situation, Jex crinkles his brow as he makes some decisions. The possible combinations play out in his head and he stands up suddenly as he reaches his conclusion. "Stay close" he instructs the others. "But not too close. Don't give away my approach, but be ready to take out the guard on the road if things go wrong. Dorno, will you come with me again?"
He then picks his way through the rocky mountainside, ensuring they arrive when the Wargs are moving away from the road. As they get closer to the guard station he gestures for a place for the others to hide within range of their crossbows before edjusting his cloak, pulling on his mask and making for the base of the tower.
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In his mind, Vark senses what can only be described as a vast emptiness. It is as though his connection to Matthew is open, but nobody is talking. Then, a moment later his body once again burns with hitherto unknown arcane power that threatens to overwhelm him if not used immediately.
Vark receives one casting of sending.
The Chronicles of Arden: Sheercleft - DM for Aiden, Bründir, Jex, Thurston, Valaith and Vark
The Chronicles of Arden: Hunters - DM for Alaris, Astrid, Caio and Shiva
As the others begin to enact their plans, Hurrig hears Vark's startled voice pop into his head. "Oh! Uhm! Brundir, this is Vark. I'm ok, got a little... lost but I'm infiltrating the camp. Don't worry. Uh... see you soon!" as the sudden burst of arcane power fades from his body. Vark again whispers to the stone "Uh....th-thank you." And with that, he carries on down the tunnel.
Chronicles of Arden: Sheercleft - Vark Galestone | Half-Orc | Storm Sorcerer
Chronicles of Arden: Hunters - Caio Cypherien | Shadar-Kai | Inquisitor Ranger
After ensuring the wagon is safely hidden from sight, Bründir, Dorno, Hurrig, Jex, Thurston and Valaith carefully make their way down the road into the valley. It takes a bit less than two hours to get within a mile of the temple, and, as they draw closer to the village, Dorno calls upon the spirits of the land to shield them from view.
Everybody roll stealth checks with pass without trace (!PwT).
The Chronicles of Arden: Sheercleft - DM for Aiden, Bründir, Jex, Thurston, Valaith and Vark
The Chronicles of Arden: Hunters - DM for Alaris, Astrid, Caio and Shiva
As they approach the town, Jex begins to look out for a good vantage point. Brundir eventually points him towards a good location. Taking the spyglass from Thurston he sets up to watch the camp.
"Stay close and be ready with that spell. I'll let you know when."
Jex casts his eye over the camp briefly, looking for any interesting activity and where the prisoners are being kept before settling in around the tent, looking for leadership figures.
From this distance, and with the spyglass as help, Jex can see the village in significantly more detail. Worg riders patrol the outskirts on their fearsome beasts, and tasks such as guard duty seems to, in general, have been left to the likes of lesser goblins. The chimneys of the refineries and forges are silent and cold, and the great lift-like platforms that lower the miners down into the ravine are manned by bugbears. Hobgoblins can be seen here and there individually, but many more loiter in their encampments. They seem to be leaders or fighters, but not tasked with menial duties.
As Jex surveys the village, movement by the town hall catches his eye. A trio of cloaked individuals emerge from the front door and quickly hurry across to the large tent besides the temple, ducking inside.
The Chronicles of Arden: Sheercleft - DM for Aiden, Bründir, Jex, Thurston, Valaith and Vark
The Chronicles of Arden: Hunters - DM for Alaris, Astrid, Caio and Shiva
He waves down to Hurrig.
"Now! Something is happening inside the tent."
Hurrig hears Vark's voice enter his head. "OI Shit! oh it's you Vark, Where have ya been? I'm glad ya safe. We are trying to use the clairvoyance to spy on the temple. We're about a mile out of town if ya can get ta us." After replying to the voice in his head, Hurrig tells the party "Vark is alright... I think he just spoke ta me with his mind... He said he will meet up with us in Sheercleft, I let him know where we are and our plan."
Hurrig prepares the spell and casts the orb inside the tent (if not inside then above the entry way) Hurrig chooses to hear what is going in the tent first.
Mavi Göz Mal - Half Orc Monk Level 1 Not Another Lost Mine of Phandelver
Drita - Aasimar Hexblade Warlock Lvl 3 Tomb of Annhilation
Iznik Sylnithas - Half Drow Blood Hunter Level 2 Precipice of Voids
As Hurrig's invisible ear appears inside the tent, he hears an unknown voice speaking. Its timbre is harsh and rasping, like the snarl of a rabid beast.
"How much longer must I sit on my prize, Magus?" The voice is tinged with contempt as it spits the title.
"Sheercleft is mine by right, yet still you demand patience. Surely your powerful magicians can handle a simple door?"
The question is clearly both rhetorical and mocking.
"For as long as the Grand Magus requires, Warlord Kung," another voice replies. This one is deep and smooth, like a draught of well aged ale.
"You hold Sheercleft, because it is Her will. It is the gift we give to you in exchange for your people's sacrifice in holding the breach, and hold it you shall, if you wish to keep the little realm you've carved out for yourself here. Or do you think the Dwarven Lords will just sit by and watch, while a Goblin stronghold rises up in their midst?"
The threat hangs heavy in the air.
Hurrig holds the spell and shifts his perception so that he can see the interior of the tent. It's a large pavilion type affair, with a long rectangular meeting area and a curtained, circular rear. A tall, well muscled hobgoblin leans aggressively on a planning table strewn with maps and other documents. His skin is a dark, burned orange, and his long, brown hair is tied up in a topknot. The sides hang loose, framing his face, which is dominated by the distinctive, chunky hobgoblin nose and sharply pointed ears. He's dressed in full plate armour, of the same black metal wielded by the hobgoblins the party encountered in the pass. A shield hangs over his back and at his waist hang a longsword and a dagger. His fingernails are wicked points and he digs them into the wood of the table as he spits a silent retort back at the figure on the other side of it.
Opposite Warlord Kung stand three figures wrapped in dark blue hooded cloaks. Each also wears a bone white mask with black, vertical gashes across the eyes, obscuring their faces entirely. From their body language, the one in the middle seems to be in charge. He stands further forwards and appears to be the one conversing with the warlord. The other two occasionally glance at the hobgoblin guards who flank the entrance to the tent.
The image fades to black and once more Hurrig hears the conversation between the warlord and the magus.
"...shall see. Your warriors will hold the white-skins at bay until you receive permission to withdraw - or to wipe them out. Do with them as you wish, but until then you are to ensure that Quinton and his team are free to work in peace. I have his personal assurances that it will not take much longer."
Next, Hurrig hears footsteps and the swishing of cloth, followed by a roar of annoyance and frustration from the warlord. Jex reports that the guests have left, and for a few moments all the cleric hears are vague background noises, then the warlord barks some orders to his guards.
"Summon a rat. Tell Gurkig he is to hold. If he needs more men, he'll have them. If he needs more Sarameian fire, he'll have it. But he holds!"
There's a quick acknowledgement and then Jex sees one of them step outside and start waving to a nearby goblin.
The Chronicles of Arden: Sheercleft - DM for Aiden, Bründir, Jex, Thurston, Valaith and Vark
The Chronicles of Arden: Hunters - DM for Alaris, Astrid, Caio and Shiva
As Hurrig is in his trance, he relays what he hears and sees to the party. "Jex quick, a messenger will be leaving the tent shortly. Follow it with your spyglass, to where someone named Gurkig is holding off men."
Mavi Göz Mal - Half Orc Monk Level 1 Not Another Lost Mine of Phandelver
Drita - Aasimar Hexblade Warlock Lvl 3 Tomb of Annhilation
Iznik Sylnithas - Half Drow Blood Hunter Level 2 Precipice of Voids
The warlord disappears into the back of the tent and Jex watches the messenger leave and head over to the ravine, where it is lowered down into the mines by a bugbear.
By the time this is complete, the clairvoyance spell has worn off.
The Chronicles of Arden: Sheercleft - DM for Aiden, Bründir, Jex, Thurston, Valaith and Vark
The Chronicles of Arden: Hunters - DM for Alaris, Astrid, Caio and Shiva
"Well, we know where th' two biggest baddies hol' up. Now need to know where they sleep..." Bründir watches the town as a whole from atop a rock. With no spyglass or magical scrying, he was left to sharpen his sword and fiddle with a crossbow bolt.
Characters:
Grishkar Darkmoor, Necromancer of Nerull the Despiser
Kelvin Rabbitfoot, Diviner, con artist, always hunting for a good sale
Bründir Halfshield, Valor Bard, three-time Sheercleft Drinking Competition Champion, Hometown hero
Val keeps her crossbow out and prepared while looking out over the area, prepared to take a fight should it lead to that. With Dorno's magic and Jex's guidance, Valaith nestled into a low profile nook that helped blend her stony features into the natural surroundings. She listens and watches intently as Jex and Hurrig spy on the area beyond. She feels much better knowing that Vark was safe... at least for now. The twisting of her guts burned furiously at the awkward angle in which she was perched, but she pushed aside such concerns for a later time... until... a thought pushed its way forward at one of the names.
"Quinton? As in the governor of Sheercleft? ...that cannot be right. Why would he sell out his town to these vermin and these masked people?"
Valaith "Rimehand" Kalukavi - Chronicles of Arden
Meanwhile, deep underground, the webbing ahead of Vark grows ever thicket as he follows the trail of blue light into the next cavern. Suddenly, an enormous spider drops from above, biting at the half-orc with huge fangs that drip with venom. In an unbelievable display of luck the sorcerer jumps aside just in time to avoid being bitten!
The Chronicles of Arden: Sheercleft - DM for Aiden, Bründir, Jex, Thurston, Valaith and Vark
The Chronicles of Arden: Hunters - DM for Alaris, Astrid, Caio and Shiva
Vark nearly trips face first into the wall as he dodges the massive arachnid. Wisps of sticky web cling to his clothes as he peels himself off the cave wall and swings wildly with his staff. It erupts against the other wall in a shower of sparks, and then again with a burst against the floor as Vark's second swing is evaded.
Chronicles of Arden: Sheercleft - Vark Galestone | Half-Orc | Storm Sorcerer
Chronicles of Arden: Hunters - Caio Cypherien | Shadar-Kai | Inquisitor Ranger
Focus, boy, Matthew growls in the back of Vark's mind. The half-orc feels the now familiar well of the wizard's power bubbling just at the edge of his senses, all he need do is reach out and take it.
The spider screeches in frustration at being denied and hurls itself at Vark again. The sorcerer is forced to grab the fangs with his bare hands to stop them from digging into his flesh and the poison sears painfully at his skin.
FOCUS! Matthew repeats, louder this time.
The Chronicles of Arden: Sheercleft - DM for Aiden, Bründir, Jex, Thurston, Valaith and Vark
The Chronicles of Arden: Hunters - DM for Alaris, Astrid, Caio and Shiva
"Now to find a way in."
Jex turns the spyglass on the gates, trying to count the number of guards in position.
"Getting myself in would be easy enough. But all of you, that's a tricky puzzle."
As Jex watches the village he sees three goblins patrolling the road the party is on. One atop a cobbled together palisade watchtower, one walking back and forth along a barricade blocking the road, and one on the ground. There are also worg riders patrolling the edges of the village. One to the north and one to the south.
The Chronicles of Arden: Sheercleft - DM for Aiden, Bründir, Jex, Thurston, Valaith and Vark
The Chronicles of Arden: Hunters - DM for Alaris, Astrid, Caio and Shiva
The booming voice seems to be enough for Vark to gain a bit of clarity as he wrestles with the spider. The sorcerer lets go of the dripping fangs, but before they can plunge into his chest he is gone in a cloud of silvery grey. A moment later and a ray of blue light pierces this cloud, spraying frost at the creature. It mostly hits the spiders legs and the floor beneath it, but that's enough to slow the beast down while Vark makes a break for it further down the tunnel.
Chronicles of Arden: Sheercleft - Vark Galestone | Half-Orc | Storm Sorcerer
Chronicles of Arden: Hunters - Caio Cypherien | Shadar-Kai | Inquisitor Ranger
Vark flees through the spider's cavern, dodging towering sheets of web left and right. Here and there he sees small silk-wrapped parcels hanging from the ceiling. Presumably other denizens of the underground who were not so lucky. Even slowed by the ice the monstrous creature is hot on his heels and Vark slips into a nook on the far side of its lair to escape... only to find his path barred by a wall of wooden boards. Through the gaps between the planks he can see another tunnel on the other side, but this entrance has clearly been nailed shut.
The Chronicles of Arden: Sheercleft - DM for Aiden, Bründir, Jex, Thurston, Valaith and Vark
The Chronicles of Arden: Hunters - DM for Alaris, Astrid, Caio and Shiva
Looking at the situation, Jex crinkles his brow as he makes some decisions. The possible combinations play out in his head and he stands up suddenly as he reaches his conclusion. "Stay close" he instructs the others. "But not too close. Don't give away my approach, but be ready to take out the guard on the road if things go wrong. Dorno, will you come with me again?"
He then picks his way through the rocky mountainside, ensuring they arrive when the Wargs are moving away from the road. As they get closer to the guard station he gestures for a place for the others to hide within range of their crossbows before edjusting his cloak, pulling on his mask and making for the base of the tower.